First Report of Occultibambusa jonesii on Para Grass (Brachiaria mutica) in Yunnan, China

Bats are one of the most diverse mammal groups, with over 1400 species distributed across the planet, and they provide key ecological and economic services. In addition, bats provide an ideal habitat for fungal growth and harbour a high diversity of fungal species. Previous studies have described 423 fungal species associated with bats and bat carcasses. This paper describes a new fungal species, Fusarium rhinolophi, belonging to Nectriaceae, collected from bats in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. Phylogenetic analyses of the combined ITS, CAM, TEF-1α, TUB, RPB1, and RPB2 dataset confirmed that our fungus forms an independent lineage within the F. nisikadoi species complex. Thus, we describe our fungus as a new species of Fusarium based on morphology and molecular phylogeny. A description, phylogenetic tree showing species placement, and micrographs are provided.

As urbanization accelerates, characteristics of urban spatial expansion play a significant role in the future utilization of land resources, the protection of the ecological environment, and the coordinated development of population and land. In this study, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces were selected as the study area, and the 2013–2021 National Polar-Orbiting Partnership’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS) nighttime light (NTL) data were utilized for spatial and temporal change analysis of urban built-up areas. Firstly, the built-up areas in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces were extracted through ENUI (Enhanced Nighttime Lighting Urban Index) indices, and then the urban expansion speed and urban center of gravity migration were constructed and used to explore and analyze the spatial and temporal change and expansion characteristics of built-up areas in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. The results showed the following. (1) Due to the complementarity between data types, such as NTL, EVI, NDBI, and NDWI, ENUI has better performance in expressing urban characteristics. (2) Influenced by national and local policies, such as “One Belt, One Road”, transportation infrastructure construction, geographic location, the historical background, and other factors, the urban expansion rate of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces in general showed a continuous advancement from 2013 to 2021, and there were three years in which the expansion rate was positive. (3) The center of gravity migration distance of most cities in Guizhou Province shows a trend of increasing and then decreasing, while the center of gravity migration distance in Yunnan Province shows a trend of continuous decrease in general. From the perspective of migration direction, Guizhou Province has the largest number of migrations to the northeast, while Yunnan Province has the largest number of migrations to the southeast. (4) Influenced by policy, economy, population, geography, and other factors, urban compactness in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces continued to grow from 2013 to 2021. The results of this study can help us better understand urbanization in western China, reveal the urban expansion patterns and spatial characteristics of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, and provide valuable references for development planning and policymaking in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces.

Four new species of Burmagomphus Williamson, 1907 are described from Southwestern China: B. apricus sp. nov. from Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Menglun Town, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province; B. magnus sp. nov. from Huayudong, Nanxi Town, Hekou County, Hani-Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Honghe, Yunnan Province, B. dentatus sp. nov. from Zhangjiang River in Xiaoqikong scenic spot, altitude 400 m, Libo County, Guizhou Province, and B. latescens sp. nov. from Sifangjing, Mengding Town, Gengma County, Lincang City, Yunnan Province. New records of Burmagomphus spp. in China are provided, with B. asahinai and B. williamsoni williamsoni for the first time reported from China. A revised checklist of Burmagomhus spp. of China is provided which includes 14 species. A doubtful record of B. arboreus and relations of the newly described species are discussed. All types are deposited in the Collection of Aquatic Animals, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.

Taking Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces in Southwest China as the research object, this paper establishes a comprehensive measurement system for the degree of coordinated development of industrialization, agricultural modernization, urbanization, informatization and greenization, and uses the entropy evaluation method to assign the indicators and determine the types of coordination stages of each province. The results show that: (1) The comprehensive development index of the five modernization of the three provinces are rising continuously, the development of urbanization is the best, and the degree of informationization and greenization is significantly backward. (2) From 2010 to 2017, the overall coordination degree of the five modernization in the three provinces displays an upward trend, but there was a drop in Yunnan Province. In 2010, the coordination of the three provinces was in a state of imbalance, and the imbalance in Guizhou Province was the most serious. In 2017, Sichuan Province had reached a stage of high-quality coordination, while Yunnan and Guizhou provinces were in a good stage of coordination.

As a fast-growing tree species, Ochroma lagopus Swartz has a greater demand for nutrients, and urea and slow-release fertilizer addition can promote the growth and development of O. lagopus. This experiment explored the effects of urea and slow-release fertilizer on the growth and nutrient uptake of O. lagopus plantation forests. The results of the study can provide a theoretical basis for the cultivation and management of O. lagopus plantation forests. At the end of June 2023, a two-year-old O. lagopus was used as the study’s object at Mengwing Farm, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. Fertilizer is applied through root outer ring application. Seven treatments of no N control (CK) and urea and slow-release fertilizers 300 g/plant (N1, H1), 450 g/plant (N2, H2), and 600 g/plant (N3, H3) were set up to determine the breast height, diameter at breast height, as well as the nutrient contents of leaves, branches, roots, and soils of the trees. The DBH and tree height were higher under N addition than in the CK, and both were highest in H3 at 90 d after fertilization, with 16.92% and 14.64% higher than CK, respectively. The overall change in C content of each organ was not obvious, N content increased with the increase in fertilizer application, and the change pattern of P content was not consistent. Soil N content showed a significant increase with the increase in N application, while P and K content showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing, and soil N content of slow-release fertilizer treatments was higher than that of urea treatments under the same amount of N application. The soil N content was higher in the slow-release fertilizer treatment than in the urea treatment regardless of the amount of N applied. The soil N content was highly significantly positively correlated with the N content of leaves, branches, and roots. There was a highly significant allometric growth relationship among the C, N, and P content of each organ. The N addition had a significant effect on the growth and the nutrient content of each organ and soil. O. lagopus mainly adapted to changes in the soil N content by adjusting the N and P content of each organ, and the optimal effect was observed in H3. In the future, an appropriate amount of P fertilizer should be applied to complement N fertilizer, urea and slow-release fertilizer can also be applied.

Forest canopy structure is an important parameter for measuring forest changes and forest coverages. It is significant to explore the application of TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X data in tree height inversion. In this research, the phase difference-phase coherence magnitude algorithm and the digital elevation model (DEM) method were investigated based on the random-volume-over-ground (RVoG) model. With Mengla County in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province as the research area, the forest height inversion was performed based on TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X data. Finally, the results were verified by combining field-measured data. For natural forests and rubber plantations, the DEM height difference method magnitude tree height inversion algorithm improves the estimation of the earth phase and canopy phase favorably, while the traditional algorithm presents a high height inversion precision for rubber plantations.

ObjectiveTo quantify the effects of climate variability, selected remotely-sensed environmental factors on human leptospirosis in the high-risk counties in China.IntroductionLeptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the pathogenic Leptospira bacteria and is ubiquitously distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Leptospirosis transmission driven by complex factors include climatic, environmental and local social conditions 1. Each year, there are about 1 million cases of human leptospirosis reported globally and it causes approximately 60,000 people lost their lives due to infection 2. Yunnan Province and Sichuan Province are two of highly endemic areas in the southwest China that had contributed for 47% of the total national reported cases during 2005-2015 3. Factors underlying local leptospirosis transmission in these two areas is far from clear and thus hinder the efficacy of control strategies. Hence, it is essential to assess and identify local key drivers associated with persistent leptospirosis transmission in that areas to lay foundation for the development of early-warning systems. Currently, remote sensing technology provides broad range of physical environment data at various spatial and temporal scales 4, which can be used to understand the leptospirosis epidemiology. Utilizing satellite-based environmental data combined with locally-acquired weather data may potentially enhance existing surveillance programs in China so that the burden of leptospirosis could be reduced.MethodsThis study was carried out in two counties situated in different climatic zone in the southwestern China, Mengla and Yilong County (Fig 1). Total of 543 confirmed leptospirosis cases reported during 2006-2016 from both counties were used in this analysis. Time series decomposition was used to explore the long-term seasonality of leptospirosis incidence in two counties during the period studied. Monthly remotely-sensed environmental data such as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), modified normalized water difference index (MNDWI) and land surface temperature (LST) were collected from satellite databases. Climate data include monthly precipitation and relative humidity (RH) data were obtained from local weather stations. Lagged effects of rainfall, humidity, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) and land surface temperature (LST) on leptospirosis was examined. Generalized linear model with negative binomial link was used to assess the relationships of climatic and physical environment factors with leptospirosis. Best-fitted model was determined based on the lowest information criterion and deviance.ResultsLeptospirosis incidence in both counties showed strong and unique annual seasonality. Bi-modal temporal pattern was exhibited in Mengla County while single epidemic curve was persistently demonstrated in Yilong County (Fig 2). Total of 10 and 20 models were generated for Mengla and Yilong County, respectively. After adjusting for seasonality, final best-fitted models indicated that rainfall at lag of 6-month (incidence rate ratio (IRR)= 0.989; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.985-0.993, p<0.001) and current LST (IRR=0.857, 95%CI:0.729-0.929, p<0.001) significantly associated with leptospirosis in Mengla County (Table 1). While in Yilong, rainfall at 1-month lag, MNDWI (5-months lag) and LST (3-months lag) were associated with an increased incidence of leptospirosis with a risk ratio of 1.013 (95%CI: 1.003-1.023), 7.960 (95%CI: 1.241-47.66) and 1.193 (95%CI:1.095-1.301), respectively.ConclusionsOur study identified lagged effect and relationships of weather and remotely-sensed environmental factors with leptospirosis in two endemic counties in China. Rainfall in combination with satellite derived physical environment factors such as flood/water indicator (MNDWI) and temperature (LST) could help explain the local epidemiology as well as good predictors for leptospirosis outbreak in both counties. This would also be an avenue for the development of leptospirosis early warning system in to support leptospirosis control in China.

Urbanization and ecological environment coordinated development is the development direction of contemporary urbanization. In this paper, the coupling degree model is used to analyze the coupling degree and coupling coordination degree of Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan and Zhejiang Province in 2014. The analysis results showed that, four provinces are highly coupled in the coupling degree. Guizhou province is in the low degree of disorder and the lag of urbanization for the coupling coordination degree; Yunnan province is also in a low degree of disorder and urbanization hysteresis; Zhejiang province is in a good coordination, while its urbanization is slightly lagging behind; Hunan province is in a low degree of imbalance, and there is a coordinated development of urbanization and ecosystem. In this paper, the research results help four provinces above to better realize the coordinated development of urbanization and ecological environment.

Drought disasters cause great economic losses in China every year, especially in its southwest, and they have had a major influence on economic development, lives, and property. In this study, precipitation and drought hazards were examined for a region covering Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi Provinces to assess the spatial and temporal distribution of different drought hazard grades in this region. Annual precipitation data from 90 meteorological stations in or around the study area were collected and organized for the period of 1964–2013. A spatiotemporal covariance model was calculated and fitted. The Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) method, which considers physical knowledge bases to reduce errors, was used to provide an optimal estimation of annual precipitation. Regional annual precipitation distributions were determined. To analyze the spatiotemporal patterns of the drought hazard, the annual standardized precipitation index was used to measure drought severity. A method that involves space–time scan statistics was used to detect the most likely spatiotemporal clusters of the drought hazards. Test-significance p values for all of the calculated clusters were less than 0.001, indicating a high significance level. The results showed that Yunnan Province was a drought-prone area, especially in its northwest and center, followed by Guizhou Province. In addition, Yunnan and Guizhou Provinces were cluster areas of severe and extreme drought. The most likely cluster year was 1966; it was clustered five times during the study period. In this study, the evolutionary process of drought hazards, including spatiotemporal distribution and spatiotemporal clustering characteristics, was considered. The results may be used to provide support for prevention and mitigation of drought in the study area such as optimizing the distribution of drought-resisting resources, drought monitoring, and evaluating potential drought impacts.

HomePlant DiseaseVol. 104, No. 11First Report of Globodera artemisiae on Artemisia japonica from Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces, China PreviousNext DISEASE NOTES OPENOpen Access licenseFirst Report of Globodera artemisiae on Artemisia japonica from Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces, ChinaRu Jiang, Yunqing Li, Liqiang Huang, Huan Peng, and Deliang PengRu JiangState Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China, Yunqing LiState Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China, Liqiang HuangState Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China, Huan PengState Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China, and Deliang Peng†Corresponding author: D. L. Peng; E-mail Address: dlpeng@ippcaas.cnhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-6759-577XState Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China AffiliationsAuthors and Affiliations Ru Jiang Yunqing Li Liqiang Huang Huan Peng Deliang Peng † State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China Published Online:17 Sep 2020https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-20-0874-PDNAboutSectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailWechat The genus Globodera contains 14 valid species, including Globodera artemisiae Eroshenko and Kazachenko, 1972, which parasitizes Artemisia vulgaris L. and has been found in Russia, Armenia, China, Poland, Germany, and Sweden (Dobosz et al. 2006). During a survey for cyst nematodes in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces of China in 2018 to 2019, 10 plants of Artemisia japonica Thunb. and rhizosphere soil samples were collected from Hezhang County, Guizhou Province (N27 06.145, E104 39.153) and Xuanwei City, Yunnan Province (N35 10.796, E113 25.082). Many white females were observed on the roots in the field from Hezhang and Xuanwei sites. Two populations of cysts and second-stage juveniles (J2s) were extracted from soil samples using the sieving-decanting method, and specimens were identified by morphological, morphometric, and molecular studies. The cysts were rounded, light to dark brown in color, with a protruding neck and a nonprotruding terminal cone. The vulva cone was circumfenestrate, and the cyst wall pattern was prominent and tended to form wavy lines extending around the body. Morphometrics of cysts (n = 15) were as follows: length (with neck), 542 µm (462 to 675 µm); width, 425 µm (365 to 506 µm); length/width, 1.3 (1.1 to 1.7); fenestral diameter, 15.04 µm (11.9 to 18.9 µm); anus-fenestra distance, 38.1 µm (28.1 to 56.1µm); and Granek's ratio, 2.59 (1.82 to 3.85). Morphometrics of J2s (n = 25) were as follows: body length, 534 µm (426 to 590 µm); maximum body width, 21.8 µm (19 to 27.8 µm); stylet length, 25.02 µm (23.1 to 26.4 µm); anterior end to median bulb valve, 78.08 µm (55.4 to 91.5 µm); body width at anus, 14.1 µm (12.1 to 16.1 µm); tail length, 53.8 µm (41.1 to 67.9 µm); hyaline region, 25.2 µm (17.8 to 32.4 µm); values of a, c, and c′ ratios, 24.6 (19.6 to 27.2), 9.9 (8.5 to 11.8), and 3.7 (2.9 to 5.1), respectively. Morphology and morphometrics of the cysts and J2s were consistent with those of Globodera artemisiae (Subbotin et al. 2010). The morphological identification was confirmed by molecular data. Sequencing was performed using primers rDNA1 (18S 5′-TTGATTACGTCCCTGCCCTTT-3′) and rDNA2 (5′-TTTCACTCGCCGTTACTAAGG-3′) for the ITS region (Vrain et al. 1992), D2A (5′-ACAAGTACCGTGGGGAAAGTTG-3′) and D3B (5′-TCGGAAGGAACCAGCTACTA-3′) for the 28S D2-D3 region (Subbotin et al. 2010), and JB3 (5′-TTTTTTGGGCATCCTGAGGTTTAT-3′) and JB5 (5′- AGCACCTAAACTTAAAACATAATGAAAATG-3′) for the mitochondrial COI gene (Derycke et al. 2010) and then submitted for registration in GenBank. Both the ITS (MT233311 and MT233312) and 28S D2-D3 region (MT233315 and MT233316) sequences were nearly identical to G. artemisiae reported in Poland (EU855121) (Dobosz et al. 2006), with a similarity of 99.58 and 99.62%, respectively. The COI sequences (MT233426 and MT233427) were found 99.52% identical to G. artemisiae from Germany (MN095894). The reproduction of G. artemisiae Hezhang population on A. japonica was evaluated by inoculating 1,000 eggs onto roots of healthy plants in 9-cm-diameter pots. Noninoculated plants served as controls (three replicates each). One hundred twenty days after inoculation, 41 ± 12 cysts were isolated from A. japonica. No white females or cysts were observed on the control plants. In conclusion, morphology, morphometrics, and molecular characterization confirmed that the two cyst nematode populations collected from fields in Hezhang County (Guizhou Province) and Xuanwei City (Yunnan Province) were identified as G. artemisiae. It has been reported on Artemisia spp. in Beijing (Chen et al. 1994). To our knowledge, this is the first report of G. artemisiae on A. japonica in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces in China.The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

The karst-dominated Nanpan River Basin (flowing through Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi Provinces, China) harbors unique aquatic ecosystems, however, the freshwater fungal diversity remains poorly studied. This study aims to investigate the taxonomic composition, diversity, and distribution patterns of lignicolous freshwater fungi using an integrative approach combining morphological observation and molecular phylogenetics. A total of 352 strains of lignicolous freshwater fungi were isolated from submerged decaying wood from the Nanpan River Basin in Guizhou and Guangxi Provinces, during 21–25 Nov 2024. Molecular identification via BLASTn analysis of ITS or LSU sequences revealed 189 species across 104 genera, 70 families, 27 orders, and six classes. Guizhou Province exhibited higher species richness, with 136 species identified from 213 strains, compared to 79 species from 139 strains in Guangxi Province. Community composition analysis revealed that only a few genera (32) and species (26) overlapped between the two provinces. Dictyocheirospora and Periconia were the dominant genera common to both provinces; Pseudohalonectria (6.1%), and Myrmecridium (5.2%) dominated in Guizhou, whereas Neokalmusia (7.9%) and Pseudoastrosphaeriella (5%) were the dominant genera in Guangxi. In addition, ten new species are introduced, namely: Apiospora submersa, Lolia guangxiensis, Neomyrmecridium submersum, Ophioceras lignicola, Pseudoteichospora aquatica, Tetraploa guizhouensis, T. nanpanjiangensis, T. verrucispora, Veronaea submersa, and Wongia guizhouensis based on characteristics and phylogenetic evidence. Wongia bandungensis is synonymized under W. suae based on phylogenetic analysis and morphological characteristics. In addition, five known species were collected and are described. These findings significantly expand the known diversity of lignicolous freshwater fungi in Southwest China, highlighting the basin as a hotspot for understudied freshwater fungal taxa and providing critical baseline data for the conservation and ecological study of these ecologically important organisms.

BackgroundToxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite infecting almost all warm-blooded animals, including birds, with a worldwide distribution. Surveys of T. gondii infection in wild birds have been reported extensively in the world, but little is known of T. gondii infection in peafowls worldwide. This study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in peafowls in Yunnan Province, southwestern China.MethodsSera from 277 peafowls, including 272 blue peafowls (Pavo cristatus) and 5 green peafowls (Pavo muticus) originated from two geographic areas in Yunnan Province were assayed for T. gondii antibodies using the modified agglutination test (MAT).ResultsSpecific T. gondii antibodies were detected in 35 of 277 (12.64%) peafowls (MAT titer ≥ 1:5). Seropositive birds were found in both species, 33 in 272 blue peafowls and 2 in 5 green peafowls. There was no significant difference in T. gondii seroprevalence between the adolescent birds (6.74%) and the adult birds (6.67%) (P > 0.05). The geographical origins of peafowls was found to be highly associated with T. gondii infection in the present study, a statistically significant difference in T. gondii seropositivity was observed between peafowls from Kunming (31.08%) and those from Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (5.91%) (OR = 10.956, 95% CI = 1.632-73.545, P = 0.014). Statistical analyses showed that there were no significant interactions between ages and geographical origins of peafowls (P > 0.05).ConclusionsThe results of the present survey indicated that infection of peafowls with T. gondii is widespread in Yunnan Province, which has significant public health concerns and implications for prevention and control of toxoplamosis in this province. To our knowledge, this is the first seroprevalence report of T. gondii infection in China’s southwestern Yunnan Province.

To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of cross-county imported dengue fever cases within Yunnan province in 2023, so as to provide insights into formulation of preventive and control measures for intra-provincial spread of dengue fever. All data pertaining cross-county imported dengue fever cases within Yunnan Province in 2023 were collected, and the temporal, regional and population distributions of the cases were descriptively analyzed. A total of 1 664 intra-provincial cross-county imported dengue fever cases were reported in 95 counties (cities, districts) cross 16 profectures (cities) in Yunnan Province in 2023, accounting for 12.34% of total cases in the province. Cross-county imported dengue fever cases were predominantly reported during the period between August and October (1 516 cases, 91.11% of total cases), and peaked in September (659 cases), with a single-day peak on October 8 (36 cases). During the period from September 4 to 10, five counties (cities) with local dengue fever epidemics, including Jinghong City of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County of Lincang City, Ruili City of Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Mengla Coun ty of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, and Zhenkang County of Lincang City, exported 165 cross-county imported dengue fever cases to the rest of the province. Among the 1 644 intra-provincial cross-county imported dengue fever cases, the male to female ratio was 1.40∶1.00, and 1 329 cases were at ages of 15 to 55 years (79.87%), with farmers as the predominant occupation (886 cases, 53.25%). The top 5 counties (cities/districts) reporting the highest number of intra-provincial cross-county imported dengue fever cases included Simao District (266 cases) and Lancang Lahu Autonomous County (118 cases) of Pu'er City, Mengla County (91 cases) and Menghai County (91 cases) of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, and Mangshi City (73 cases) of Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, which accounting for 38.40% of total imported cases. These intra-provincial cross-county imported dengue fever cases originated from 7 counties (cities/districts) in 4 prefectures (cities), including 1 261 cases (76.70%) from Jinghong City of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, 224 cases (13.63%) from Ruili City of Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, 103 cases (6.27%) from Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County of Lincang City, 31 cases (1.89%) from Mengla County of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, 30 cases (1.82%) from Zhenkang County of Lincang City, 10 cases (0.61%) from Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County of Lincang City, and 5 cases (0.30%) from Mohan-Boten Economic Cooperation Zone of Kunming City. In addition, local dengue fever epidemics following intra-provincial cross-county importation of dengue fevers cases in Simao District, Jinggu Dai and Yi Autonomous County, Mangshi City, Longchuan County, and Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County. Farmers and students are high-risk populations for intra-provincial cross-county imported dengue fever cases in Yunnan Province, and health education pertaining personal protection against dengue fever should be strengthened among these high-risk populations by governments at all levels. There is a high risk of local out-break of dengue fever following continuous introduction of intra-provincial cross-county imported cases. Standardized management of intra-provincial cross-county imported dengue fever cases should be reinforced to reduce the risk of local epidemics.

Objective: To explore the current status of HBV infection before pregnancy among rural childbearing age people in Yunnan province, find out the population at high risk and areas with high incidence and provide evidence for promoting pre-pregnancy aristogenesis and medical interventions for prevention of HBV infection. Methods: The subjects in the study were rural childbearing age people aged 18-49 who received the national free pre pregnancy eugenic health examination in Yunnan province during 2013-2017. Descriptive analysis was conducted for HBsAg positive rate and its difference among various characteristics. The SPSS 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 2 180 841 rural childbearing age people were surveyed, the HBsAg positive rate before pregnancy was 3.13%(68 314/2 180 841) in Yunnan. And the HBsAg positive rate was 3.56% (37 694/1 057 376) in men, higher than that in women (2.73%, 30 620/1 123 465). The HBsAg positive rate was highest in age group 41-49 years (3.77%, 3 126/82 931). The HBsAg positive rate was higher in minority ethnic group (3.77%, 27 974/742 518) than in Han ethnicity group (2.81%, 40 024/1 425 870). Moreover, the highest HBsAg positive rate of was 8.20%(851/10 378) in Yao ethnic group. The people with education level of primary education had the highest HBsAg positive rate (3.97%, 17 294/435 219). The HBsAg positive rate was highest in Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture (6.65%, 3 875/58 232) in Yunnan. Moreover, the HBsAg positive population in severe poor area (3.32%, 19 755/595 665) was higher than those in less poor area (3.17%, 29 750/939 101) or normal areas (2.91%, 18 809/646 075). There was significant difference in HBsAg positive rate among populations in different age groups, ethnic groups, education level groups, areas and economic level groups (P<0.001). Conclusions: The HBsAg positive rate in rural childbearing age people in Yunnan was related to multi factors, including sex, age, ethnic group, education level, area and economic development level. The HBsAg positive rate was higher in men, older age and lower education level, minority ethnic group (especially in Yao ethnic group), from Xishuangbanna prefecture and the poor living conditions in childbearing age population.

Cultural Circles and Epic Transmission:The Dai People in China Qu Yongxian (bio) Introduction The Dai1 ethnic group in China and the Thai people in Southeast Asia2 can all be broadly divided into two cultural groups: a Buddhist cultural circle and another circle centered around indigenous religion. Within the Buddhist circle, the Dai people practice Theravada Buddhism, celebrating the Songkran3 Festival and using a writing system created by their ancestors long ago with the result that poems were often recorded as written texts or books very early in their history. Within the indigenous circle, the Dai communities in China are generally referred to as “Hua-Yao Dai” (“Colorful-Waistband Dai,” in connection with their vivid clothing), and they adhere to folk belief or animism. These communities have little or no literacy education; consequently, their poetry has been handed down orally from generation to generation. Interestingly, in both of these Dai cultural circles, the poetry employs a key technique that can be termed “waist-feet rhyme” wherein the last syllable of one line rhymes with an internal syllable in the succeeding line. This feature—which is discussed in detail below—is embedded in both the oral and written traditions and is an important enabling device within the poetry of the Dai people. Subgroups of Dai People in China The Dai ethnic group is one of 56 minorities in China, with a population of 1,159,231 according to the Chinese National Census in 2000. Its people live mainly within Yunnan Province in southern China, especially in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. They also live in other areas, such as Gengma County, Menglian County, Jinggu County, Xinping County, Yuanyang County, Pu’er City, Lincang City, and so on, mostly residing in basins or valleys along the Nujiang River, Lancangjiang River, Jinshajiang River, Yuanjiang River, and Honghe River. Click for larger view View full resolution Map 1. Yunnan Province, China. According to their own terminology and names, there are widely varying Dai branches in different areas, such as the Dai-lue4 (“Dai living along the Lue River”) in Xishuangbanna Prefecuture, the Dai-le5 (“Dai living along the Lancang River upstream from Burma”) in Dehong Click for larger view View full resolution Map 2. Dehong Prefecture and Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Prefecuture, the Dai-yat6 (“Dai who lagged behind or separated from others”) and Dai-sai7 (“Dai living in Gasa Town”) in Xinping County, the Dai-dam8 (“Black Dai”) in Maguan County, and so on. However, some outsiders distinguish only three broader groups—the Shui-Dai (from the Chinese word shui [“water”] and thus understood as “Dai who live along rivers”), the Han-Dai (from han [“dry”] in Chinese and referring to Dai who live in farms within dry areas), and the Hua-Yao Dai (a “catch-all” category for all other Dai subgroups)—but such classification is not accepted among the Dai people themselves. Click for larger view View full resolution Fig 1. The branches of Dai in China. Why are there so many branches of the Dai population in China? The historical reasons are complicated, but the following narrative provided by Thao’ enkai, a 50-year-old man from Luosa Town, Magua County, may contain relevant information of a previous migration (Qu 2010): A long time ago, all Dai people lived in a kingdom named Meng si.9 There were so many people residing together that they battled each other for food, water, and other resources. As a result, some Dai subgroups left southwards led by their chief men, searching for a new world. Some people were strong enough to be the vanguard team; some people were too weak to catch up. Among these migrants, some people were nobles in precious dress and they marched more slowly. Therefore, they made an agreement: the vanguard team should cut down the banana stems as road marks so that the laggard groups might follow them by these marks. However, when they found that the banana stems had grown new leaves, they thought the vanguard team had gone too far to be caught. So they decided not to pursue anymore...